How Much Gandalf in ‘The Hobbit’?
In a recent interview with critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, Sir Ian McKellan stated that he would indeed return to play the beloved wizard Gandalf the Grey:
“If you play a part that gets an awful lot of attention,” he explained, “forever after you’re being asked by directors to play the same part in their movie. But I played the best wizard, and I’m happy to revisit him, which I shall do in The Hobbit with Guillermo del Toro.”
Why does this matter to you? Well, if you’re a fan of the Lord of the Rings series, this is an early Christmas present. Gandalf was done justice on the big screen by McKellen, and fans would not stand for another actor to step in for the role.
Too Much Gandalf?
But while this is wonderful news for the production and fans, a new question arises: How much of Gandalf will we see?
Gandalf is not a character that would need an introduction due to him already being a major character in 3 LOTR films, so he should not become a major focus of the film. It would be entirely mundane if for the second time, he gathers and leads another group on an implausible mission. While the stakes are lower (Smaug the Dragon versus Sauron?), we certainly don’t want to see a rehashed version of The Trilogy again.
Focus for the Hobbit
The story should instead focus on three things:
- Tying in Bilbo’s legacy with the Shire
- Smeagol/Gollum
- Dwarves, Dwarves, Dwarves!!!
I would love nothing more than a movie that fully (and respectfully) explores the history and lore of the dwarves. Too much was said of the elves in LOTR, while the dwarves got the short end of the stick. Indeed, it seemed like Gimli was only used for comic relief.
However the movie turns out though, director Guillermo del Toro is a master of imagery and imagination and can only succeed under the direction of producer Peter Jackson.
How much Gandalf do you think we’ll see?
[source: RottenTomatoes]
